5 Tips for Supporting Your Creative Child
Alex Kiesling’s advice on parenting a future artist
Lemonade was thrilled to work with artist and animator Alex Kiesling on a recent #ConnectedByLemonade commission. One of his goals, as he puts it, is “to remind audiences it’s okay to feel like a kid again”…and so we asked him for some advice on how parents can help cultivate their own kids’ artistic passions.
In preschool, we had to count up as high as we could on a piece of paper. A group of kids that sat next to me could write past 100. Their papers filled tightly with numbers neatly packed inside the lines… while my page only went up to 12. My mind melted into goop as I broke down with my first pseudo-existential crisis.
‘I can’t count as high as everyone else, so I must not be smart,’ I thought.
All throughout my childhood—for those 7 hours a day, 5 days a week—I was surrounded by things I didn’t understand. Formulas and fact cards spun around my head in an endless blur, and how well I retained this knowledge was determined by a single number score.
If you looked back at my algebra homework from high school, you would notice that my sheet full of red check marks. The giant ‘C-’ grade in the corner? I drew over it, turning it into a goofy character.
I might not have been able to recite the quadratic formula, but I sure did love to draw. Fortunately, I had a couple of wonderful teachers and two parents who understood not every kid is built the same, and that my value was not measured by an SAT score.
In that spirit, here are some thoughts on how other parents can nourish their children’s creative ambitions.
Erase the stereotype of “The Artist”
This first tip is for the parents whose primary focus is on ‘adult job security,’ and who are on the fence about the arts. Creativity makes up a whole hemisphere of the brain, so it’s not good to neglect it if there’s potential. Adults view creativity as a hobby for kids, but they get concerned if that child is taking art too seriously as they grow older.
“You need to focus on what will get you a real job.”
Jobs have evolved. Not all work involves logistical problem solving; the art world is not just painting still lifes, hoping that they’ll be sold in a gallery. Every ad, news article, movie, piece of furniture, or other product you bought has been worked on by designers and creative directors. Many of these people have full-time, salaried jobs working in professional studios.
Follow your kid’s lead, not your own ambitions
Try not to force a child down your preferred path. If your child is miserable, they are going to reject the subject. The only way a child can succeed in art is if they are passionate about what they’re making. I dislike graphic design and if I was forced to become a graphic designer, I would always be subpar to those who are actually passionate about it. We are at our best when we actually want to learn the subject matter.
Provide simple but valuable resources
It’s pretty simple: If your kid likes drawing, get them a sketch book. If they like fashion, see if they might want to try and make their own apparel. If they seem really passionate about something, lead them to online tutorials so they can learn even more about it. Over time—if they still love what they are doing—then upgrade them to something that’s higher quality and more advanced.
Introduce them with a creative community online
You can’t be a great author if you don’t read books. Same with art. Kids are always on their phone and if they are only following memes, slime videos or YouTube celebrities on social media, there’s a good chance they are not gaining much artistically.
Suggest that they also follow art and design blogs. Get them on Behance, or buy a subscription to an art magazine. Do what you can to stimulate their artistic brain while giving them an inside look at the art community. That should guarantee they’ll want to pick up a pencil and aspire to be like one of the pros.
Connect with working artists (we’re nice people!)
If you think your kid is more than likely destined to be in a creative field, then you should research the paths they might take. Know that art’s not all just ‘painting’…each field has its own subfield. It’s important to research this diversity and understand where your child fits in best.
Many professional artists are happy to give advice and answer your questions via email, if you reach out. We’re not all stuck-up snobs! Most of us artists and designers had parents that also felt lost while raising an artistic child—so we get the struggle. Your kids are our future colleagues, and we want to make sure no creativity goes to waste.
Check out more of Alex Kiesling’s work here. And hey, if you want to read more fun stuff while you pretend to be ‘working,’ check out all the other great content on #FF0083.
Aaaand if you’re curious about what we do at Lemonade, find out here!
